Kinetic Energy/Transcript
Transcript Text reads: The Mysteries of Life with Tim and Moby An animation shows Tim and Moby sitting in a moving chair lift. A gust of wind sends a letter flying into the robot's face. Tim reads from a typed letter: Dear Tim and Moby, why is kinetic energy important? From Melissa (via the Internet). TIM: Well, energy lets us do everything from running a mile to typing on a computer. When an object has energy, it has the ability to cause change. Kinetic energy and potential energy are the two types of energy that relate to motion. Two icons appear. The icon labeled "kinetic energy" shows a circle rolling down an incline. The icon labeled "potential energy" shows a ball perched on a peak, with the ability to fall to either side equally. TIM: Potential energy is stored energy that increases or decreases depending upon an object's position and condition. Moby and I store up more potential energy the higher we go on this ski lift. The animation shows a group of people riding up on a ski lift, with a caption reading "potential energy". TIM: Kinetic energy is the energy that an object has because of its motion. The animation shows a hat falling from the ski lift, with a caption reading "kinetic energy". TIM: If it isn't moving, it doesn’t have kinetic energy. MOBY: Beep. The animation shows Tim and Moby skiing down a slope. TIM: Right about now, our potential energy is being transferred into kinetic energy! The amount of kinetic energy that an object has depends on its mass and speed. A fast moving object with a lot of mass will have a lot of kinetic energy. A snow tractor pulls up next to Moby as they both head downhill. TIM: Moby and that snow tractor are moving at the same speed, but the tractor is way bigger so it has much more kinetic energy. Even if Moby was skiing as fast as he could, he will still have less kinetic energy because the tractor is so massive. Moby skis out of view and a second tractor comes into view. TIM: Two snow tractors are a different story. The animation switches to an aerial view of the two tractors. One is labeled "01" and is ahead of the other one, which is labeled "02". TIM: Tractor number one is moving at 40 kilometers per hour, and tractor number two is moving at 30 kilometers per hour. Tractor number one has the greater speed, and that means more kinetic energy. The view changes and now Tim is speaking at a bowling alley with a sign in the background reading "Mister Bowl". TIM: Another cool thing about kinetic energy is that it can be transferred from one object to another when the objects collide. Moby is seen throwing a bowling ball down the alley. There are ten pins at the end of the alley arranged in a triangular shape with one pin at the front, two pins behind it, three pins behind them, and four pins in the rear. The ball rolls down the alley and strikes the front pin, causing all the pins to fall down. TIM: Moby's bowling ball only hit one pin, but they all fell down. The kinetic energy transferred from the ball to the pin that was struck, and to all of the other pins in a domino effect! An aerial view shows the bowling ball just as it hits the front pin and pushes that pin into the two pins behind it. There are two arrows on each of those two pins showing the motion that these two pins will make as they collide into the three pins behind them in the third row, and so on. MOBY: Beep? TIM: What's kinetic energy good for? Well, besides being the reason why even you can bowl a strike, kinetic energy can be transformed to give us electricity. This dam makes electricity using running water. A curved dam is shown with water behind it. Another diagram then shows water emerging from a channel near the bottom of the dam that funnels the water toward a wheel with spokes. The force of the water as it hits the spokes makes the wheel rotate. A close-up view of the wheel shows that it has an axle that turns with it as the wheel rotates. This axle is attached to other gears that rotate with it. TIM: Moving water spins the generator's turbines, turning kinetic energy into electricity. Moby is shown holding a bowling ball. Moby has a puzzled look on his face. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Well technically speaking, energy doesn't really run out. Energy is transferred and stored but it can’t be created or destroyed. All of the energy in the universe is here to stay. MOBY: Beep. TIM: What? MOBY: Beep. Tim is watching the bowling lanes. He has a concerned look on his face. TIM: No, I don't think you should do that. Moby throws himself onto the bowling lane and begins rolling toward the bowling pins. Moby crashes into the pins, knocking them all over. The bowling alley manager is shown at his desk watching the proceedings. He looks upset. Manager: Huh? Moby and Tim are looking chagrined. Moby is holding a broken bowling pin. TIM: Okay, I think it's time to use up some of our potential energy to create some kinetic energy and run away! Category:BrainPOP Transcripts Category:BrainPOP Science Transcripts